4.4: karaṇa (Instrumental)

Info

Part of “A Beginner (Non-Linguist) Guide to Learning Pali”

Many sentences name the thing an action is done with: the sickle the rice is reaped with, the eye a form is seen with. Kaccāyana calls that thing the karaṇa (“the instrument”) {279}, and the noun that names it takes the ③ ending {286}: dattena (“with a sickle”) from datta, cakkhunā (“with the eye”) from cakkhu, agginā (“with fire”) from aggi. English says “with” or “by”.

The ending does more work than this. When the verb is passive, “the boon given by the yakkha”, the one who did the giving stands in ③ {288}; a ③ noun goes with saha and saddhiṁ (“together with”) {287}; and ③ can also give the reason for an action, the time at which it happens, the limb a defect sits in or the clan a person is known by {289}–{292}. The question to ask of a ③ noun is “with what, or by whom?” — the Fire Sermon asks it of itself, kena ādittaṁ?, “burning with what?” (9: 2.5) — and if neither fits, “why, or when?”.

The ③ ending looks like -ena (kāyena, “with the body”), -āya (vijjāya, “by knowledge”), -inā and -unā (agginā, cakkhunā) or a bare -ā (raññā, “by the king”; manasā, “with the mind”), and in the plural -ehi, -ebhi or -hi (viññūhi, “by the wise”); Appendix G tables them all.

The uses of the ③ ending

what the noun is doing	what you see	example	rule
the instrument: the thing the action is done, seen or heard with	a ③ noun beside the verb, “with”, “by”	dattena vīhiṁ lunāti (“[he] reaps the rice with a sickle”)	{279}, {286}
accompanied by: the companion of saha or saddhiṁ (“together with”), vinā (“without”) or samaṁ (“equal to”)	one of those words next to a ③ noun	mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ (“together with a great community of monks”)	{287}
the doer (kattā) of a passive verb: the one by whom the thing was done	a ③ noun with a passive verb, often a word in -ta such as hato (“killed”)	yakkhena dinno varo (“the boon [was] given by the yakkha”)	{288}
the cause (hetu): the reason for the action	a ③ noun that answers “why?”, “because of”	annena vasati (“[he] stays because of food”)	{289}
the time, in the sense of the ⑦ ending	tena samayena, the opening of countless passages (3: 2.1)	tena kālena (“at that time”)	{290}
the limb a defect sits in	a part of the body in ③ beside the word for the defect	akkhinā kāṇo (“one-eyed in the eye”)	{291}
the distinguishing attribute (visesana): the clan or quality someone is known by	a ③ noun beside a name or a word of praise	gottena gotamo nātho (“the Protector [is] a Gotama by clan”)	{292}

Three rules elsewhere touch the same ground. The ② ending is sometimes found where ③ is expected {307} (4.5); with maṇḍita (“gladdened”) and ussukka (“zealous”) either ③ or ⑦ is used {315} (4.3); and the doer of a passive verb sometimes takes the ⑥ ending instead, kato me kalyāṇo (“good has been done by me”) {308} (4.7). With an active verb the doer takes the ① ending {284} (4.6).

Examples

The instrument {279}, {286}:

dattena vīhiṁ lunāti

🚻⨀③(dattena) 🚹⨀②(vīhiṁ) 🟢⨀🤟▶️(lunāti)
with a sickle / the rice / [he] reaps
[He] reaps the rice with a sickle.

Accompanied by {287}:

sahā’pi gaggena saṅgho uposathaṁ kareyya

⏏️(saha) ⏏️(api) 🚹⨀③(gaggena) ⨀(🚹①(saṅgho) 🚹②(uposathaṁ) 🟢🤟⏯(kareyya))
together with / even / Gagga / the Saṅgha / the uposatha (observance day ceremony) / may perform
The Saṅgha may perform the uposatha even together with Gagga.

The doer of a passive verb {288}:

yakkhena dinno varo

🚹⨀③(yakkhena) ⨀🚹①(🔽(ta)(dinno) varo)
by the yakkha / given / the boon
The boon [was] given by the yakkha.

Exercises

Translate the following from Pali to English. Each has a word with the ③ ending: find it and say which row of the table it belongs to. Look up the words in a dictionary, perform the necessary sandhi and compound word deconstruction, and take note of the vibhatti endings to deduce the meaning of the sentence. Each is a sentence or phrase from the texts of chapters 3, 5 and 9 and the bonus chapter, linked to its place there.

Hint

You may find the Digital Pali Dictionary useful for looking up words, as well as doing the sandhi and compound word deconstruction.

1. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā gayāyaṁ viharati gayāsīse saddhiṁ bhikkhusahassena. (9: 1.1)
2. Dveme, bhikkhave, antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā. (5: 2.1)
3. Rāgagginā, dosagginā, mohagginā ādittaṁ (9: 2.6)
4. Viññāṇassa nirodhena, natthi dukkhassa sambhavo. (Bonus: 16, 19.3–19.4)
5. Tena samayena buddho bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati (3: 2.1)

Answers

Note: please do the exercises first before checking the answers.

1. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā gayāyaṁ viharati gayāsīse saddhiṁ bhikkhusahassena.

*️⃣🤟🚹⨀②(eka) 🚹⨀②(samaya) 🚹⨀①(bhagavant) 🚺⨀⑦(gayā) 🟢⨀🤟▶️(viharati) 🚻⨀⑦(gayāsīsa) ⏏️(saddhiṁ) 🚻⨀③🆎(bhikkhu+sahassa)
one / time / the Bhagavā / at Gayā / dwells / at Gayāsīsa / together / with a thousand bhikkhū
At one time the Bhagavā was dwelling at Gayā, at Gayāsīsa, with a thousand bhikkhū.

Accompanied by {287}: saddhiṁ (“together with”) goes with a ③ noun.

2. Dveme, bhikkhave, antā pabbajitena na sevitabbā.

⚧⨂①(dvi) *️⃣🤟🚹⨂①(ima) 🚹⨂⓪(bhikkhu) 🚹⨂①(anta) 🚹⨀③🔽(ta)(pabbajita) ⏏️(na) 🚹⨂①🔽(tabba)(sevitabba)
two / these / bhikkhave / extremes / by one gone forth / not / should be cultivated
“These two extremes, bhikkhave, should not be cultivated by one who has gone forth.

The doer of a passive verb {288}: sevitabbā (“should be cultivated”) is passive; the one who would cultivate them stands in ③.

3. Rāgagginā, dosagginā, mohagginā ādittaṁ

🚹⨀③🆎(rāga+aggi) 🚹⨀③🆎(dosa+aggi) 🚹⨀③🆎(moha+aggi) 🚻⨀①🔽(ta)(āditta)
with the fire of passion / with the fire of hatred / with the fire of delusion / burning
Burning with the fire of passion (rāgaggi), with the fire of hatred (dosaggi), with the fire of delusion (mohaggi)…

The instrument {286}: what it burns with, the answer to kena ādittaṁ?; -inā is the ③ of aggi.

4. Viññāṇassa nirodhena, natthi dukkhassa sambhavo.

🚻⨀⑥(viññāṇa) 🚹⨀③(nirodha) ▶️🤟⨀(natthi) 🚹⨀⑥(dukkha) 🚹⨀①(sambhava)
of consciousness / with the cessation / there is not / of suffering / birth
With the cessation of consciousness, there is no birth of suffering.

The cause {289}: the cessation is the reason there is no birth of suffering.

5. Tena samayena buddho bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati

*️⃣🤟🚹⨀③(ta) 🚹⨀③(samaya) 🚹⨀①(buddha) 🚹⨀①(bhagavant) 🚺⨀⑦(uruvelā) 🟢⨀🤟▶️(viharati)
at that / time / the Buddha / the Bhagavā / at Uruvelā / dwells
At that time the Buddha, the Bhagavā, was dwelling at Uruvelā…

The time, in the sense of ⑦ {290}: tena samayena (“at that time”) opens the text.